Vehicle



Patented Nov. 22, |898.

s. J. ALTHAM.

V E H l C L E (Applicion med pee. 31, 1397.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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@www QW@ Patented'nuv. 22, |898.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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G. J. ALTHAM.

V E H I C L E (Apphcatiun led Dec. 31, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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"ATENT GEORGE J. ALTHAM, OF SVANSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE.

SPI]CIIEIC-kllION- forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,781, datedNovember 22, 1898.

Application iiled December 31, 1897. Serial No. 665,071. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. ALTHAM, of Swansea, in the county ofBristol and State of lilassachusettahave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to vehicles generally, and though designedmore especially for embodiment in that class of vehicles in which thedriving power is imparted to the wheels from a motor in the vehicle, yetit may be employed on wagons and carriages of other constructions andpropelled in other ways.

The object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in therunninggear whereby the body of the vehicle may be supported flexiblyand the axle may have a yielding movement in a plane transverse to thesaid body.

To these ends the invention consists in a vehicle having certainfeatures of improvement which are illustrated upon the drawings and arenow to be described in detail and then pointed out in the claimshereunto appended.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents in plan view the front portion of amotor-carriage. Fig. 2 represents the same in front elevation. Fig. 3represents a longitudinal section through the axle, only one-halfthereof being shown. Fig. 4L represents a transverse section through theaxle, the guide and the parts adjacent thereto being shown in elevation.Fig. 5 represents an enlarged section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6represents a partial section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7represents one of the nuts detached.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a superstructure of the vehiclewhich is either the body or else a support on which the body may beyieldingly mounted, and b h indicates the front wheels, said wheelsbeingillustrated as each having a barrel hub b', a rubber tire b2, andmetallic spokes h3 b3. Each hub is placed on a spindle c, extendingoutward from a tube or sleeve c', and between them are anti- The ou terend of the spindle is reduced and threaded to receive the nut c3, bymeans of which the wheel is held in place, it being maintained againstinward movement by a flange c4 on the spindle.

The sleeve is arranged vertically and is supported in two lugs d CZ,projecting out from the hanger cl, there being a pivot stud or pin d2passed through apertures in the said lugs and through the said sleeveand secured to the sleeve by a key or pin d3. On the upper end of eachof the pivot-studs or secured thereto is an armdi, the two armsprojecting rearwardly and being attached by links d5 with thesteering-gear, (not shown,) by means of which the attendant in thecarriage guides its movements. By swinging the wheels lin the samedirection around the axes of the verticallyarranged pivot-studs Z2 thecarriage may be guided in a straight line or swerved toward one side orthe other.

The hangers d are each provided with a stud d6, extending into andsecured to a tubular axle e, supported in sliding brackets e' c. Eachbracket has an oppositely-extending sleeve-like portion c2 to receivethe axle and a transversely-arranged portion to slide against a guide f,depending from the body of the vehicle. Each of the guides f is formedwith a curved slot f', which is the arc of a circle struck from a pointmidway between the two and is provided at its end with aforwardly-projecting lug f2.

Bolts g 7i are passed through apertures' in the brackets and through thecurved slot f', and on their threaded ends are placed nuts g' h', flatwashers g2 h2, and curved springwashers g3 h3. The outer faces of thenuts g 7i are radially grooved to receive pins g4 7L, passed throughapertures in the ends of the bolts when the nuts have been screwed intoplace, whereby the latter are locked. The curved spring-washers g3 h3operate to hold the slides yieldingl y against the guides or brackets.

Each of the guides ffis secured to the body of the vehicle or else to aportion of the running-gear on which the body is yieldingl-y supportedin any suitable way, as by a casting i, having a socket to receive theupper end thereof, and is secured to the axle by a flexifriction devicesc2 of any approved kind. .ble connection. Journaled upon each of the ICObolts 7L is a roller j, which lies in an aperture in the slide andprojects into the interior of the tubular axle through a slot therein.Between each roller and the bolt on which it is journaled areantitriction devices j', as illustrated in Figs. and 6, and passing overthe rollers and through the tubular axle is a compensating flexibleconnection 71:, consisting of a chain having its ends secured to thelugs 1o f2 of the guides or brackets f. By this arrangement the vehicleis supported by the flexible chain, which in turn is hung upon therollers in the tubular axle, and hence the superstructure of the vehicleand the wheels and axle are flexibly and yieldingly connected and aretree to have a limited movement relatively to each other in linesperpendicular to the planes of the iioor of the vehiclebody or of theline of travel of the vehicle. They both swing about a point locatedcentrally between the ends of the axle, whereby the body of the wagon isnot jolted when the wheels pass over ruts or stones in the road, and atthe same time the body of the vehicle is supported at points near itsouter edges, whereby it cannot be easily overturned, and, moreover, thewheels by this arrangement all have a uniform bearing on the ground andrun smoothly at all times without tiltingr the vehicle when any one ofthem passes over an obstruction.

I have described my improvement as employed in connection with the frontwheels; but it will be understood that it may be used in connectionwiththe rear wheels also, and again, while I have described the brackets orguides as being supported by the superstructure ot' the vehicle andemploy that word in the claims I desire to be construed as meaning thatthe brackets may be attached either to the body proper or else to anyportion of the vehicle between it and the axle, as a frame or truck onwhich the said body may l an axle, `compensating flexible connections beyieldingly or otherwise supported.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,I declare that what I claim is l. A vehicle having a superstructure, anaxle, wheels on the ends of the axle, and a loose compensating flexibleconnection between the axle and the superstructure on which thc superstructure is siipported,\vlie1'e by the axle and the superstructureare free to have an oscillatory movement about a center relatively toeach other in planes perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of thevehicle.

2. A vehicle having a superstructure, a

front axle stationary longitudinally of the' superstructure, and a loosecompensating flexible connection between the superstructure and the axleand on which the said superstructure is supported whereby they are freeto oscillate relatively to each other in planes transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the superstructure.

3. A vehicle having a superstructure, an axle, wheels on the end of saidaxle, and a flexible non extensible connection for the same consistingof a cord or chain on which the superstructure is supported, said cordor chain being connected at its ends to the su perstructure and havingits intermediate portions supported loosely upon the axle.

4. A vehicle having a superstructure, an axle, and a flexible connectionfor the same consisting of brackets depending from the saidsuperstructure to points below the axle, and a cord or chain on whichthe said superL structure is supported, said cord or chain having itsends connected to the ends ot' the brackets and having its intermediateportions supported by the axle, whereby the axle is capable ofoscillating relatively to the superstructure.

5. A vehicle comprising a superstructure having depending guides, anaxle, slides movable on said guides and having provisions for receivingand supporting the axle, rollers journaled on said slides, and aiiexible cord or chain having its ends connected to said guides andhaving its intermediate portions passing over said rollers.

6. A vehicle comprising a superstructure having depending curved guides,a tubular axle, slides movable along said guidesand having provisionsfor receiving said axle, and a chain or cord having its ends secured tothe depending guides and having its central portion passing looselythrough the tubular axle.

7. A vehicle comprising a superstructure,

between the axle and the superstructure, whereby the axle is free tooscillate in planes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body,wheels connected by vertical pivots with the ends of the axles, andmeans for swinging said wheels about the said vertical pivots.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day ol' December, A. D.1897.

GEORGE J. AI/lllAM.

lV i tnesses:

(5. F. BROWN, E. lhtrcnnnnnn,

IOC'

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